There is a famous picture of Albert Einstein
playing a violin which serves to remind us that people generally have multiple
interests even if they're primarily known for one particular thing. It's obvious
from this web site that I have a particular interest in the performing arts but
I also go to dog shows, have a garden, follow sports, compete in bi-athelons and
follow politics, to name a few other interests.

I'm also a science buff which brings me back to
Einstein and relativity. How much I seem to know or not know about dance is
relative to your own experience. For the casual dance fan, people who've only
seen The Nutcracker or people who don't follow dance at all, I'm sure I seem to
have a certain expertise. But for dancers, choreographers, dance critics
or people for whom dance is their overwhelming passion, I'm more of a moderately
well-informed fan. I've often said that the only expertise I claim for myself in dance, or
even music, is to be expert on what I like. It should be obvious from my several
other reviews of this company that I like this company.

This performance was book ended with pieces I've
seen before, opening with "Prelude", which had
the entire company performing to the jazzy music of Abdullah Ibrahim and Max
Roach, followed by an excerpt from "Dancecollageforromie" which had
Norwood Pennewell and Nicolette Depasse dancing a beautiful pas de deux to the
music of Dmitri Shostakovich. The first portion of the evening concluded with
the entire company performing a segment of last years "Light: Dark/Light" to the
music of jazz violinist Billy Bang.

On the back end was "Translation Transition"
which uses the music of the Jazz Jamaican All Stars playing a series of jazzy
reggae tunes featuring horns and vibes and incorporating the tune "I'll Take You
There" made famous by the Staple Singers. The infectious music and mixing of
modern, ballet and Afro Caribbean movements makes this one of my favorites.

In the middle was the world premiere of Garth's
new work called "Senku" which utilized a live performance from concert pianist
William Chapman Nyaho. The work did not draw me in as most of Garth's work often
does. I had the sense that it may be a work in progress, but there were
some notable highlights including the second movement called "Talk: Ms./Mrs." a
pas de deux with Nicolette DePass and Annique Roberts which was stunningly
beautiful and emotional. Khama Phillips also filled in for Guy Thorne on very
short notice and was impressive in the first segment called "Talking Drums". It
may take another viewing, and some tweaking, for me to fully appreciate this
work but in the end this was another very satisfying evening of dance.

Vienna Teng: October 16th at The Living Room

In the middle of her set, Vienna said she's often
asked what kind of music she plays but always fumbles for an appropriate answer
usually stringing together a random list of adjectives with the typical response
being "Oh". She added that her father recently told her that he described her to
a neighbor as being like Paul Simon except not a guy and not a guitar.

Coincidentally, before the set Judy and I were
having a nice conversation with a pretty young woman named Camillia who said she
describes Vienna as a cross between Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. That's a
really good description. Her vocal quality and singing style is easily compared
to both artists along with her haunting melodies and personal, and sometimes
poetic, lyrics. I would add that she also brings some classical influence, a la
Rufus Wainwright, to her playing.

Performing solo, she played a handful of songs
from her new release "Dreaming Through The Noise" including the up tempo
pop tune "City Hall" which celebrates a drive to City Hall to get married after
ten years together. The lyric "if they take it away again someday, this
beautiful thing won't change" was uncharacteristically optimistic. The
classically influenced ballad "Now Three" also had a positive theme reveling in
the joy of being in bed with her love knowing that they'll soon be three.

Not to stray too far from her darker side, "Now
Three" was performed right after a song about being pregnant and not knowing the
father's whereabouts. Also from the new CD was the beautifully depressing "I'm
Nothing Without You" where she sings to her future love "I'm nothing without
you, but I don't know who you are".

She also performed some earlier material
including the energetic "Harbor" from her second release, "Warm Strangers" and
the haunting a cappella song "Passage", from the same CD, which is sung from the
perspective of a young person killed in a car crash a few days, a few months, a
few years and several decades after the accident. Vienna apologized for
performing such a depressing song and added that she only performs it when the
vibe is right, but no apology was necessary, it was a moving experience.

Vienna, who's originally from San Francisco but
said she'll be making New York her home for a while, will be playing in an
around the city in the coming months. I highly recommend seeing her if you're
able.